Gabe’s eyes flashed.

The Emperor had always held the Marquis above him and shook him, but it was the first time the Emperor had spoken so directly. He swallowed dryly.

Gabe knew the first answer he should give.

“Regrettably, due to the current Count’s ongoing poor health, I continue to meet with Your Majesty in his stead.”

“Oh my.”

The Emperor spoke as if sympathetic, but his eyes were coldly smiling.

“If that condition persists until late summer, it might be better for the Esteban family if the position of head of household were to be solidified.”

“I am humbled, Your Majesty.”

“This year’s 10th anniversary celebration of our victory will be more meaningful than any other year’s festival. At that grand occasion, those who have contributed to our victory should receive their due rewards.”

A brilliant future flashed before Gabe’s eyes. The crossroads between days of being called Acting Count and days of being called Marquis.

“It was strange anyway that the father of the Crown Princess’s consort was only called Acting Count. It’s been a long time, but I haven’t forgotten the merits you’ve quietly accumulated. For example…”

At that moment, the Emperor’s eyes flashed sharply.

“How you covered up your daughter’s shortcomings at the chaotic border after the war.”

“…”

“How you concealed the Grand Duke’s inadequacies and elevated the Crown Prince’s achievements to raise the imperial family’s status.”

To raise the imperial family’s status, it was inevitably necessary to pull someone else down.

Gabe Esteban was an excellent schemer.

With his superior ability to drag someone down into the mud, five years ago, as soon as he realized the Emperor wanted to suppress the Grand Duke, he brought the story that Gauwe’s remnants were seeking reinstatement.

And he fabricated two rumors as if they were facts: that Nerea Esteban had not properly finished off Gauwe’s remnants, leading to an uprising, and that the Grand Duke’s weak control had failed to properly suppress Gauwe’s rebellion.

With the Emperor driving in the wedge by enacting a special law, Gabe’s value rose even further.

“Please continue to trust and rely on me, Your Majesty.”

Gabe’s eyes glimmered with enthusiasm. The Emperor gently smiled and pressed down on Gabe.

“Just don’t act too much like you did five years ago.”

Five years ago. When they first incited a riot near the border, it happened to be when people were all on edge due to a poor harvest.

If only those worm-like creatures hadn’t raised such a big fuss, if only it hadn’t been revealed that that bastard Rosa had been steadily donating wheat to the border.

The Emperor clicked his tongue in regret, but it was already in the past. Unlike his inexperienced early days, Gabe Esteban had since done well in his own way with what he could do.

There was no problem with people dying in riots.

Whether Black Knights or heroes trying to revive the border, it was all the same.

Strong imperial authority. Under it, they were insignificant and fragile existences that seemed about to fade away.

There was one more thing he wanted to order. But to find that pledge, he first needed to throw Orlondo into chaos.

The Emperor stroked his chin and asked as if it were nothing:

“By the way, didn’t you also incite a riot in Orlondo before? Is it still strictly controlled there these days?”

“Both then and now, it’s difficult to attempt anything in Orlondo. That crazy Count Rosa…!”

Ahem. Gabe started to get angry but cleared his throat. Unlike the Grand Duke, Count Rosa was not to be trifled with.

With many merchant guild knights, security was strong, and there were many foreigners, so there was much to be careful about.

Even when they incited a riot just once, unlike the Grand Duke, Count Rosa responded forcefully. As if he didn’t care about special laws at all. Suddenly, Gabe bowed and said:

“If you would just tell me what you’re looking for, I will plant someone in Orlondo.”

Though he didn’t know why the Emperor was deliberately trying to cause chaos in Orlondo territory, it was clearly what he wanted most.

Even if he was considered a close confidant now, it was a relationship that could be stranded at any time by the Emperor’s whims. He had to act like the tongue in his mouth and instill enough trust to at least be securely led to the position of Marquis.

But the suspicious Emperor nonchalantly changed the subject.

“I was just asking. The failure last time was painful. Oh, take this as a gift to your wife.”

The Emperor nodded towards the chamberlain.

It was a bouquet of Queen Roses. A beautiful flower that could only be seen when bestowed like this, unless one was of the imperial family.

“Queen Roses. Such a precious flower.”

“I see them all the time. I hope it will be a good gift for your wife.”

Looking at the exceptionally red and alluring roses, Gabe slowly nodded.

Every time he saw red roses, he had always felt uncomfortable as they reminded him of that bright red hair, but today he felt at ease. Rather, it was amusing.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. My wife will be delighted.”

They were merely counts, but he was the father of the Crown Princess’s consort and would soon be a marquis.

* * *

A few days later.

In the garden of the Crown Princess’s palace, where red roses were in full bloom.

Under the delicate lace awning, cheerful laughter spread.

Young ladies dressed in spring-colored dresses were all looking at the highest seat with sparkling eyes.

“I heard His Highness the Crown Prince has almost finished dealing with Gauwe’s remnants? He’s really amazing.”

“I really don’t know what the Count is doing. The so-called Shield of Castarty even refused the official invitation from His Majesty the Emperor.”

“They say he’s in seclusion, which is nonsense. I wonder if he’s still unwell somewhere?”

“That’s right. I heard that Lady Blanche Terli went to where Count Esteban was staying and saw something chilling…”

Curious gazes turned towards the Crown Princess. At the same time, everyone at the table sparkled with interested eyes.

The beautiful Crown Princess gracefully smiled and picked up her teacup.

It was a perfect tea party.

Brianna knew exactly what their sparkling curiosity wanted to hear.

“Nerea Esteban must be crazy. Those eyes, those trembling hands, even that stupid voice!”

About a month ago. The shocking news that Lady Blanche Terli, Countess, had burst out with after returning from the islands had already hit the entire social circle.

Nevertheless, Brianna waited.

For the atmosphere at the table to ripen sufficiently, for anything thrown to be able to degenerate into a base meaning.

And when she thought the time had come, Brianna slowly raised her teacup.

“…Well. My sister hasn’t properly responded to the official invitation yet.”

It was an ambiguous statement. While the young ladies were unable to pick up on the direction, Lady Emendel, Marquis’s daughter, who was guarding Brianna’s side along with Blanche Terli, threw in a word.

“Not even properly responding to that honorable invitation. How unnoble.”

It was enough to light the fuse. Under the Crown Princess’s tacit approval and the Marquis’s daughter’s support, young ladies and young noble ladies immediately continued their criticism with indignant faces.

“If she’s refusing such an honorable invitation, there must be a reason she can’t come out of the house.”

“Indeed. It seems like just yesterday that Nerea Esteban enjoyed being in the spotlight. Her personality couldn’t have changed.”

The young ladies’ eyes glimmered ominously. Subtle malice rose to the surface.

“I remember that time ten years ago. Who would have known that gleaming armor would come back with the nickname ‘Black Knight’,”

“All the more reason she should have completely finished off Gauwe to live up to her reputation. Even so, as the Shield of Castarty, how much His Majesty considered her position.”

Brianna smiled faintly. The words that came out here would immediately spread to other tea parties.

Contrary to the popularity of the Crown Prince who stabilized the border, the half-mad knight Nerea who couldn’t even properly organize the turbulent border.

Nerea Esteban, that girl couldn’t beat this solid tower Brianna had built.

“Honestly, it’s not even right to be praised as the Black Knight. As a direct descendant of Esteban, she should have naturally…”

Suddenly realizing her mistake, Baroness Eckmann swallowed her words. The atmosphere instantly became awkward as everyone looked at the Crown Princess.

It was already well known that the noble Crown Princess of the Empire was not a legitimate daughter of the Esteban family.

The shocking marriage of the current Acting Count Gabe Esteban and Helen Tylesbury of the Tylesbury baronial family, who was a maid of the previous count.

The story of how Brianna Tylesbury, Helen’s daughter who grew up without a father, became Lady Brianna Esteban, and then Brianna Esteban Castarty, bearing the glory of the imperial name, was packaged as the most romantic love story of the century.

But it wasn’t something to bring up at an official occasion, especially in the presence of the Crown Princess.

As everyone was flustered, a clear laugh was heard then.

“That’s why, Baroness, isn’t it your catchphrase that thanks to the end of the war, Baron Eckmann fortunately didn’t have to be drafted?”

At those words pouring cold water, Baroness Eckmann’s face flushed red. She looked around fiercely and then paused.

Lady Grace Lancaster, Baroness.

An outstanding beauty with wax-colored blonde hair and purple-blue eyes.

Despite having older siblings, she was a candidate for the next baroness and currently the vice-guild master of Rosa, one of the most prominent merchant guilds on the continent.

In other words, the dress she wore, the jewels she adorned, the shawl she wrapped, and even the shoes she wore and the perfume she used were all at the forefront of fashion.

It was natural for second sons without titles to propose to Grace with her confident stride. But Grace rejected all those confessions and stood as a pillar of high society.

Such Grace laughed amusingly and pointed out one by one across the table:

“I remember how you said how fortunate it was that Viscount Oroléans’ eldest son didn’t have to go to the dangerous Abidden just below the border thanks to Count Esteban’s victory.”

At those words, the face of Viscount Oroléans’ eldest son’s fiancée turned pale.

“Baron Derby’s cotton business also regained its footing because the war ended, right?”

Those who received Grace’s gaze all averted their eyes. It was as she said. Nobles with knighthoods, regardless of whether they were marquises, counts, viscounts, or barons, all benefited from the victory.

It’s still okay, but I should restrain it before it gets any longer.

As Brianna was about to gesture towards Baroness Eckmann, Grace continued:

“Well. I’m also a beneficiary of that. Thanks to the end of the war, I was able to have a grand debutante ball. I heard that was the first time Your Highness presided over a debutante ball, how did you manage to present such a fantastic debutante?”

The conversation had now shifted to Brianna. With skilled rhetoric, Brianna smiled faintly as she looked at Grace.

“I suppose I felt regretful about having a scaled-down debutante ball myself.”

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how Your Highness, who has been leading debutante balls since then, will manage this 10th anniversary victory celebration.”

She may not like her, but she’s someone to keep close. With her flexible conversational skills, beautiful appearance, title, and eyes that know how to suppress desire.